Forcing the Matter
by silenceindreams
Summary: When a young girl meets up with Max, Logan, and Alec, things start to collide, including the girl's past and future. Set between 'Hello, Goodbye' and 'Dawg Day Afternoon'. Pairings Max and Logan are still... virusy, so no real pairings yet. Read and revi
1. Chapter 1

In South Market, the door to the building flew open, slamming against the wall, but people ignored it, as well as the shouting that followed. They just went about their business- after all, this kind of thing happened everyday, and as long as the sector police weren't involved, it was nothing to be worried about.

Unless you were the girl, of course. She flew down the street, earning dirty looks as she shoved people out of the way. They looked after her, barely picking themselves up in time to be shoved aside again as two men, big and dark looking, barreled down the busy marketplace after her.

The girl stumbled slightly, before picking herself and forcing herself onward, hoping to get somewhere safe. She spared a few seconds to push a bicyclist over in the path of the men, before running on. That didn't work, before she flew through the narrow alley, around the sector checkpoint. There were no hover-drones nearby, which was probably a good thing. She didn't need to be arrested on top of this, for causing mayhem and 'violating checkpoint security'...

Suddenly, the girl pitched forward, tripping and falling to the hard ground. She had barely touched the ground before she was already turning it into a roll, rolling up, slightly off-balance for a few steps, before bolting once more.

A few blocks away, she abruptly swung around a corner, changing direction. At the door to the first building she saw, she yanked on the door-

To find it locked. She cursed, then closed her eyes and placed her hands over the lock. The girl's face went pale, and she swayed, before yanking the door open and disappearing inside, as the men reappeared behind her. She knew it would only slow them down slightly, but she ran to an elevator, pushing quickly at the 'up' button. Finally, the doors opened, and she slipped inside, hitting the 'close door' button. It closed-

Leaving her in front of a panel that wouldn't go up anywhere unless she had a damn keycard... or a second one, which was only for the penthouse. Getting an idea, she closed her eyes, and slammed her hands over the card slot, and the elevator jerked into motion.

This was a familiar elevator design, now...out of two elevators, only one would go to the private, inner door for the penthouse. It wouldn't open once up there unless you had the key card. The other one would still go up there, but they'd have to go through a hall and another door... the slim girl slumped against the wall, breathing heavily.

The elevator dinged, and the door opened easily. She stumbled out into a huge room, hoping against whatever hope she'd had in the first place that the owner wasn't home. She needed to get out of here before the other elevator came up...

She walked cautiously across the room, just as the front door slammed open, and the two men entered. Now how the _hell_ was the other elevator faster? She had had a head start... she ran through the room, trying to slip by-

Only to come up short as a woman stepped in front of her, surveying her coolly. Shit. The girl caught a quick glimpse of a man behind the woman, sitting in a wheelchair, before the two men tore around the corner. The girl cringed, and closed her eyes. There was no way out of this now...

"Hands up, now." One man ordered. "You're coming back with us."

"Sorry, is that an invitation? 'Cause I don't even know you," The woman said sweetly, and the girl looked up, confused. The woman... wasn't afraid of the guns? Wasn't afraid of the men that were here to kill her?

"Stay outta this, missy," the other said. "It doesn't include you. We just need to take her home safely..." Safely... no. And she had no home... just alone, before she'd been captured and shunted back and forth.

"Safely? With those guns?" She found herself asking. She turned slowly, just in time to catch one man firing, taking no precautions with her.

The young girl flung up her hands, and screamed. The two bullets that had been fired stopped in midair, one in front of the girl, the other in front of the man... the woman had moved, but the girl wasn't sure if that was due to the blackness that was at the edges of her vision or not. The other bullet was in front of the man in the wheelchair, who looked at it in frozen horror and fear.

The bullets dropped with an audible noise on the nice hardwood floor, as there was a blur of motion. The girl didn't care, however... she was too busy passing out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Forcing the Matter** By Silence in Dreams

Disclaimer- No, I still don't own anything... all things _Dark Angel_ belong to James Cameron. I own the girl, though...

Chapter Two

This time, a little more is revealed/happens…

"Is she gonna wake up?" A far-off voice asked. "She's been out all night, and we still don't know what her deal is."

"Calm down. You can go to work... I can handle this."

"We don't know what she's doing here... I'm not leaving you alone with her." The girl forced her eyes open, and immediately groaned. The lights were too bright... if this was what a hangover felt like, she was never going to drink...

"She's awake..." The female voice said, and she heard someone come closer, and something cool ad wet appeared on her brow. "Hey, girl. You have a name?"

"Caytlyn... you got water?" She whispered.

"What were you doing here?" The male asked, and she felt a look pass over her.

"Had to hide... thought I could lose them."

"Why were they after you?"

"Wanted... me. Taken... and sold."

"Prostitution?"

"No, other," she murmured. A few murmured words and suddenly she was gently pulled into a sitting position, and a glass of water was put in her hands. She looked up with wide eyes, and finally caught a glimpse of her rescuers. A man, sitting in the wheelchair, who was white, with slim silver glasses. He had bright hazel eyes, and dark blond hair spiked up. Very nice... The woman was just as beautiful, in a dark, sultry way.

"Who are you?" She asked, then hurriedly added, "Not to be rude or anything."

"I'm Logan, and this is Max," The man said, wheeling closer. She took a sip of water, then gently set the glass down on a table. "What were you being sold for?"

"I came up in the private elevator, right?" She asked, suddenly nervous. These people had seemed nice enough at first, but when she told them, they'd want to sell her, too. Just like everyone else... She was used to being alone, but then someone had caught her. The man had-

Logan nodded, and Caytlyn yanked herself back mentally. "Yeah... how did you get around the security card?" The woman, Max, asked.

"I'm a freak," She said. "I forced the elevator to recognize a code that wasn't put in."

"How did you do that?" A voice asked. Logan again.

"Same way I stopped the bullets. If I focus enough, I can force things to do what I want," She said quietly.

"Why did you collapse, then?" Max asked, sitting on the arm of the couch Caytlyn was on. She pulled a foot up, wrapping her arms around the knee to pull it to her chest. An innocent motion, but one that was sexy anyway.

"Because it takes so much out of me. It... hurts," She said. "I can do it, but it costs me... and I used too much in too many short amounts of time."

Logan was studying her now, intently. He leaned forward in his chair, and Cayt shrank back slightly. "And you're human?"

"What else would I be?" She shot back. "I'm just a freak."

"No, not a freak," Max said, tilting her head and getting a far off look in her eyes. Logan looked at her, something passing over his face before it was gone.

"Then why else would-" Cayt stopped herself, glancing away. Damn... she wasn't going to just tell them everything... hell, she didn't even admit everything to herself. Besides, if they knew why she was where she was... They would probably try to sell her, too.

She changed the subject quickly, and asked, "What happened to those guys?"

"Let's just say they found better things to do," Max said, a small smile flirting at her lips. "They decided that their time was better spent fixing themselves."

Caytlyn looked at her, confused as well as in awe. Max was so confident, and had made those men leave, even after she had broken into their apartment...

"I... why?" She asked.

"They bugged me." Max shrugged. Logan caught sight of the utter confusion crossing the new girl's face, and frowned slightly.

"Why were they chasing you?"

"To sell me. I'm one of a kind, an artwork to them..." She said disgustedly. "I'll get good money, because I'm young and can force matters... hell, it's even in my name," Caytlyn said bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"They called me Matt," She said. "Short for 'Forcing the Matter'. Cute, innit?" She turned away, and sighed deeply. "Look, I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll leave."

"Hey," Max said, stopping the girl from getting up. "You're not going anywhere, not 'til we take care of those guys. Slavery doesn't fly in these parts anymore."

"I... no. I can't ask you to do this. I can take care of myself." Cayt said, trying to get up, only to be pushed back down.

"Yeah, by fainting," Max said, sneering elegantly. "You got no place to stay, and no way to keep safe. You're staying here."

"Tch, no." Cayt pushed Max's hands away, and stood up. "I have to go, and I can keep myself safe enough." Suddenly, she found herself on the couch, arms twisted behind her back. "What the-?"

"You're staying," Logan said, his voice somewhat gentler. "You're not a hostage though... right, Max?" He asked pointedly. Cayt felt her arms being released, and she sat up.

"Not a hostage... uh huh. Which is why I can't leave."

"Just until we help you," Max said.

"What if I don't need your help!" Cayt asked heatedly. "I _can_ take care of myself, and I don't want any more people hurt!" She stood up, and began to storm out, before stopping.

A gentle voice called after her, "Who's been hurt?"

"Why do you care?" She asked. She didn't mean to be rude, but if she was, maybe they would see that she really wasn't worth helping. "I'm nothing."

"Caytlyn," A voice said, and she turned to find Max behind her. "If you let them keep doing this, what makes you think others will be safe? And how long until they begin selling you as a prostitute?"

"You're a person," Logan said. Kay whirled around, and pointed her finger at the two of them.

"No... my family sold me," She said, voice shaking. She'd never told anyone this... barely even let herself acknowledge that she had once been normal. "After the Pulse, s-something happened to me. They knew I was different, even though I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything, but they got rid of me anyway."

And after that, a small voice taunted, you can tell them how you learned the hard way what you could do. You can tell them how you can only do small things, and it hurts like hell... but no one wants you. You're a freak, and you know it... how long until they decide to sell you?

"You... oh, God," Max murmured. She looked at Cayt, her eyes compassionate, and Cayt glanced away.

"Yeah, me," She said. "I gotta go."

"How many times we gotta tell you?" Max asked, sounding gentle now. "We're not going to hurt you, and we want to help."

"No one wants to help me... no one is coming for me," She said, trance-like. Max and Logan exchanged worried looks, as the girl shook her head slightly, and her eyes abruptly cleared. "I... sorry," She said, and whirled around. She made to leave, and the two made no move to stop her this time.

_See, they didn't really want to help you... now they're just letting you walk right out the door. Not that they could help you anyway... No one ever could, _she thought.

Still too exhausted to force the elevator, she moved to the door leading to the hallway. She'd just go, and... go where? She'd run away, and it wasn't like she had anywhere to call home... No matter. She could force her way in somewhere, only for one night... then slip out of town, getting a job, new name.

She yanked open the door of the elevator in the lobby, only to run into a man as she got out of the elevator. The man grabbed her by the shoulders, his hand over her mouth before she could scream. She was dragged back into the elevator, just as someone else entered the lobby, dressed in a black leather jacket... someone else... she had nothing left, she couldn't handle two at once.

The guy's eyes widened, and slipped into the elevator as the doors closed. Cayt's captor hit the basement level button, and the elevator started downward. Immediately, her holder whipped out a gun, as soon as he was sure there were no cameras. Oh, god... he was going to kill the man, right in front of her...

"Don't move," She heard, and closed her eyes. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad then...

"Whoa, hey... innocent bystander here," the new guy said. Squinting through her eyelashes, she saw him hold his hands up like surrendering. "Besides," he said, and she caught a sudden blur of motion, "You're the one who shouldn't be moving."

The arms around her dropped, as her captor swung his gun up further. The gun went off, and Cayt froze. Oh, god... someone was going to die, and-

The elevator dinged, and the door slid open, as the young man kicked out, foot passing close by Cayt's head to snap the other man's head back. He dropped, just as more men came into view. None of them had guns, not drawn, anyway. Cayt was jerked to her feet by the young man, who muttered, "Not good..."

He jerked her into motion, running behind the nearest car, just as gunfire exploded behind them. The man crouched and moved forward, looking everywhere. He shot her a glance, beckoning her after him. Eyes wide, Cayt followed, confused. Who was he, and why was he helping her?

Coming to the next car, he yanked a door open, and got in. Cayt froze- no one wanted to help her, and she was finally going to die... suddenly, a hand stuck out of the door, waving impatiently. She ignored it, bolting into the car, as the door slammed shut behind her. The young man reached up, and checked for keys, but found none.

"Of course," he muttered, looking disgusted. He slammed his fists against the steering wheel, then glanced in the rearview mirror. The men were coming closer, checking every car...

Cayt reached across the man's lap, as he asked, "What're you-"

She slammed her hands against the ignition, focusing on the engine. It roared into life, as she slumped back, and the man stared at her. "Drive!" She snapped, and he jerked, then complied. Gunfire shattered around them, but luckily hit nothing, as Kay leaned back, pale and only half-conscious. The driver glanced at her a few times, but kept driving.

A few minutes later, he glanced over and asked, "So, uh, who are you? I usually like to know a person's name once I save them." He sounded cocky, but still slightly hesitant.

"Cayt," she murmured. "You?"

"Alec," he said. "You, uh, gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," She said cautiously. "As soon as I just have some rest..." Hunger also gnawed at her stomach, but he didn't need to know that; he less he knew, the more likely he was to let her go.

"Why were those guys after you?" he asked, after a few minutes. "What happened?" Cayt closed her eyes, and sighed inwardly. In one day, she'd escaped, only to almost have people killed twice already, because of her... she couldn't tell him too much, because he might be just like everyone else.

"They wanted their merchandise back," She said quietly. Alec stared at her, glancing at the road, but looked at her, lips twisted in a slight frown.

"Mer-... you're a prostitute?" He asked, incredulous. "You look a bit young and pale to be-"

"No!" She snapped. "People buy me and sell me when they get tired of me... mostly because I won't obey."

"A prostitute," Alec said, something odd in his voice. Amusement, almost.

"No. Just a girl with power that people want." She looked out the window, but not before she caught the slight smirk flirting at Alec's lips fade away.

"Power? What?" She glanced over, to see Alec focusing on the road again. "Oh. What you did with the car."

"Yeah," She murmured. Silence fell after that, heavy and awkward.

"So, uh... handy trick. Anywhere I should be taking you?" Sitting up, she looked over, concerned. "Besides away?"

"What? No...where've you been going?"

"Away," he said, his voice smirking, but his face innocent.

"Well, keep going away... just drop me off somewhere." She looked out the window again, watching as he pulled closer to South Market... "Not here. Away, as in not of the here!" She said, looking at him anxiously.

"Whoa, whoa... why not here?" He glanced over at her, and recognition flickered in his eyes for a second. "This is where you escaped from." She nodded, and he changed directions, swerving across a lane of traffic, as two other cars collided in confusion. She looked at him, shocked, and he smiled slightly, before commenting seriously, "I get what it's like... more than you might think."

She looked at him again, confused, before falling into silence. She didn't know what to talk about, or even where he was taking her... she just hoped he wasn't going to sell her or anything, now that he knew. There really wasn't anything she could do about that... She was out for the day, no power left. Hell, no juice for the next few days, at least, if not longer.

Please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Finally, he pulled to a stop, and turned the car off. Looking over at her, he grabbed her shoulder before she could bolt, as she reached for the door handle. She tensed, and looked back at him, suddenly afraid. He was going to take her, going to sell her, just like the rest...

"Hey, Cayt... where are you going?" He asked, eyes suddenly piercing. Piercing, in a frightening way, but... a good way. Not the bad piercing she had seen when someone was about to hurt her again.

"Away... I mean, thanks for helping me, but I have to-" She opened the door, and tried to get out. Unfortunately, the girl had forgotten that she was way too far gone, and she almost collapsed, halfway out of the door. Alec grabbed her, pulling her back in the seat, steadying her.

"Whoa... slow down." She closed her eyes, and Alec started as she slumped, unconscious. He had no idea what he was doing here... some girl, unconscious, who was on the run from people with guns. Similar to him, in a way, but not really.

He'd been on his way to Logan's, to bother Max some; he was bored, and he knew Logan had beeped Max earlier, which meant Max got something to do, and he... he was stuck delivering packages. Now how was that fair? Not to mention, everyone knew that Max needed his help on the missions, anyway- how many times had he saved her transgenic ass?

And how many times had she saved his?

He shook that thought off, and sighed. This girl needed to get out of the car... especially if the men had traced the car. He got out, going around to the other side. He carefully rolled the girl's slack form into his arms, and kicked the door shut. Carrying her, he walked the couple of blocks to his apartment, the one he had taken over from whatever his name was.

Once inside, he paused, then sighed before taking her and setting her in his bed. Max was making him into a goody-two-shoes... giving his bed up for the damsel in distress he had saved from people chasing her... Come on. This wasn't what he had been trained to do. None of this really was.

But this girl had power; he'd seen how she'd started the car. Carefully, he rolled the girl over, pushing her hair from the back of her neck, checking and finding no barcode. Okay, so she wasn't Manticore... then what was she? One of the people in the wacky cult White was working for, or what? And what had she been doing in Logan's building?

Speaking of Logan... Alec pulled out a cell phone, and hit the speed dial button he had set up. When it was answered, he said quietly, "Heya, Logan... Max there?"

"Why?" Logan asked.

"Found a damsel in distress... she's, ah, got some kinda power," Alec said, studying the girl on the bed. Max and Logan would know what to do; this was their kind of deal, not his.

"Is her name Caytlyn?" Logan asked, voice interested.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Alec asked, startled.

"She broke in here earlier, men on her tail..." Logan said, and Alec cut him off.

"Yeah, I met some of her friends earlier. Was wondering if you two would know what to do next- I mean, this hero thing is right up your alley and all," Alec said, smirking slightly.

"Keep her safe for now," Logan said. "Max and I met her; she's okay, but... if you can keep her from running off, we can help her."

"Hey, this is your deal," Alec said. "Besides, she's in my bed right now... I don't think she's going anywhere."

Logan paused, then said in a strained voice, "You don't waste much time, do you? And she barely talked to us... how did you manage this?"

"You know, assuming makes an ass out of you and me..." Alec said lightly. "She's just sleeping... jump started a car for me, and passed out when I got here."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," Alec said. Then, he smirked as he teased, "I mean, if you wanted tips on how to score a girl this quickly, you know I'd help, but Max would kick my ass..."

At Logan's strangled noise, Alec grinned, then said seriously, "So, when are you going to pick her up?" He glanced up, in time to catch the girl bolting upright in the bed, green eyes wide. He realized what she must have just heard, and pulled the phone slowly away from his ear.

"Just watch her, Alec... Alec?" the voice from the phone asked. Cayt got out of the bed, looking at him suspiciously, her eyes cold. Alec shut the phone, ignoring Logan's voice.

"I should have known," the girl said, voice low and cold. "Should have known that they'd have backup for me..."

"Backup? For what?" He asked, honestly confused. "I wasn't... wasn't selling you," he said, as pieces came to him. He might fence other things, but then again, so did Max. He'd never sell a person... even though he'd been trained to do some pretty weird things, he'd never sell a person. It was just... wrong.

"Yeah, right," She said. "Who's coming to pick me up?"

"No one. Was talking to Max and Logan... they said you met them earlier?"

"Yeah," she said, eyes still mistrusting. "What about it?" He tried to go around the bed to get to her, and she scrambled across it, to stand on the opposite side again.

"They're friends of mine," he said, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. What was he supposed to do here? This girl didn't trust him, and the only way he usually got people to trust him-

Was to sweet-talk them.

"We're just trying to help you. Set you free, you know?"

"Free?" She asked mockingly. "I don't know what free is." She tried to slip out the door, but Alec bolted across the room, grabbing her and putting her back on the bed. He sat next to her, an arm around her shoulders, keeping her there.

"Free, as in not bought or sold anymore," he said, nodding.

"I can't be free," she said. "How are you this strong?"

"I work out..." Alec said vaguely, shifting away. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I... I understand." She looked at him, eyes shadowed by fear, hurt, and distrust.

"How can you possibly understand? You can't've had to run from people looking to either sell you or kill you because of what you are. People looking to _use_ you for who you are..."

"Actually," Alec said, his mouth a bit dry. "You'd be surprised." He looked her in the eyes, and frowned. The girl couldn't be more than eighteen years old... he was twenty, and she didn't look much younger than himself. She was thin, with a boyish figure. Curvy, yes, but not wisp thin like some anorexics. She was average build, with piercing dark green eyes, high cheekbones, and full, soft looking lips. A stubborn chin and a delicate nose all made her... really pretty, Alec decided.

"Then what do you run from?" She asked, voice hard. "Because I find it hard to believe that anyone would buy or sell a guy who can take care of himself like you did back there."

"Believe it or not, that's exactly what some people are after me for," Alec said. Realizing that he was dancing close to telling a stranger his ultimate secret, he got up, and began to pace.

"So, uh, where do you want to go now?" He asked.

"Go?" She replied, before, "Oh, um... I don't know. I like Seattle... if I could just find a way to hide," she said. "The best place to hide is in the most obvious place."

"Yeah," he said. Then, looking at her as she tried to rise, he came close, supporting her as she almost collapsed again. "Rest. You can figure this out later," he said.

Kay yawned, then nodded, relaxing as he helped her back to the bed. Then, as he left, she said suddenly, "I'm sorry." When he looked back at her, she added, "I mean, for... everything."

"Don't be. Save that for Max and Logan, who actually accept that crap." He shrugged, and she frowned slightly.

"Don't accept compliments well, do you?"

"Nope," he said cheerfully. "Now go to sleep."

"Yessir," she said, and he whirled, in time to see her roll over and curl up. He could hear her breathing slow immediately, and he sighed. She looked small in his bed... and of course, the first time in a while that he had had a pretty young lady in his bed, and he wasn't sleeping with her. That was kind of sad, really... though considering how well he pissed people off, especially Asha, maybe it was for the best. Just his luck...

Please review? Let me know what you like, dislike, what I need to work on characterization wise, etc.


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